We all love the Royal Rumble. Even the cynical, burned-out IWC loves
the Rumble. It's all about the suspenders of disbelief. When that little clock starts counting down, youre on the edge of
your seat. You never know who's coming out next. Will it be a major superstar? A Rumble veteran? A hot up-and-comer? A surprise
entrant? Then it turns out to be Bob Holly and the buzz is effectively killed until a minute-fifty is up and our beloved little
clock is back.

The Rumble is the one event even all the McMahons in the world can't ruin. It's the one event you
can look forward to each and every year. No one can poop on this party. Nothing can put a dark cloud over this party. Or so
you'd think.

Get out your umbrellas, people. All is not well
in our 30-way-dance. I will have you know that a certain number is cursed. All who draw it and use its evil powers to win
the Rumble soon see the end of their careers and even their very lives.

Oh sure, laugh all you want. The facts speak for themselves, folks. Behold:

In 1989, Big John Studd drew #27 and went on to win the Royal Rumble.
Studd died six years later.

In 1993, Yokozuna drew #27 and went on to win the Royal Rumble. Yoko
died seven years later.

In 1994, Bret Hart drew #27 and went on to co-win the Royal Rumble.
Bret suffered a career-ending concussion five years later. Also, he got screwed in Montreal and several of his relatives died. His ex-wife
is fat, too.

In 2001, Steve Austin drew #27 and went on to win the Royal Rumble.
Austin's neck got progressively worse until he was forced
to call it a career two years later. Also, he’s had trouble with booze and domestic violence (non-worked version).

Told ya. But as long as they draw #27 and DON'T win the Rumble, they should
be fine. Here is the list of those who have drawn #27, only to be eliminated from the Rumble:

From that cursed list, three are still
active wrestlers in the WWE, where they still enjoy main events when the guy management really wanted to push got injured.Skinner, a.k.a. Steve Keirn, currently works as a road agent.JBL enjoys his status as a big goose-stepping fish in the
small pond that is Smackdown.They’re stuck with Big Show until 2009.Kane (formerly Isaac Yankem) is the only soul to have tempted fate TWICE, in 1997
and 2005.He either has a death wish, or he’ll be the one in the Kevin
Von Erich spot that nature allows to survive.Having read results of the last
year of Raw, my money’s on the death wish theory.

As for the rest, one (Jarrett) is the lingering World champion of a promotion that his daddy owned. One (Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes) got fired from that same promotion
after getting busted on a charge of domestic violence, or, as the boys call it, “Saturday.” One (Billy Gunn) made headlines last year for passing out on a men’s room floor and subsequently getting
fired. The others are probably wrestling at an indy show in your area as you
read this. But at least everyone's alive and well. As long as they don’t win the Rumble with #27, there’s nothing to worry about, right?

Wrong.

Even that’s not a guarantee. Remember
who drew #27 in the 1995 Rumble (where Shawn Michaels became drew #1 and won the whole shebang)? Well, I didn't. But I looked
it up.

DICK MURDOCH.

Up to the 1995
Rumble, the Texas brawler was known the world over as "Captain
Redneck." But nary a year later, he became "Captain Deadneck."

So
this Sunday, say a silent prayer when the Rumble Buzzer goes off for #27. There are forces beyond our control, people. Ask
John Studd. Ask Yokozuna. Ask Dick Murdoch. Oh, wait. You can’t, because THEY'RE DEAD!

Harry Simon is a trivia-fueled wisenheimer who has been writing about pro wrestling off and on
for 16 years and counting. Harry has written trivia pieces for both the Wrestling Observer and Live Audio Wrestling websites,
and contributed a ton of research to his fellow Las Vegan Mike Tenay in preparation for the first NWA TNA PPV in 2002. Harry
has also done play-by-play, color commentary, and ring announcing for indy promotions. Harry invented the Von Erich Match
Rating System, which you can learn aboutHERE.

With Christmas just around the corner, what better way to spend your few remaining dollars (left over after the seemingly infinite line-up of fucking pay-per-views ) then on the following "quality WWE merchandise!" After all, if they don't move this stuff, and fast, stockholders just might get time to figure out what "plummeting domestic buyrates" means!... and well, I don't think they need to tell you what that means! (Seriously. They're not telling you. Everything is fine! Ahem.).